11 hours ago
2
Ryan Lochte shared an emotional note to “clarify” his estranged wife Kayla Rae Reid’s recent Instagram video the now-retired Olympics swimmer’s vows at their 2018 wedding.
The “Playboy” model, who filed for divorce in March, shared the video after Lochte said he “barely knew” Kayla during their relationship in an announcement for his new memoir.
“I’m writing this because I am too emotional to speak through this,” Lochte, 41, wrote. “Navigating personal challenges in public can be incredibly tough, and I am thankful for the opportunity to clarify my recent post about my ex-wife. I understand my words have sparked a lot of backlash, and I want to express that my intention was never to hurt anyone but to share my honest feelings.
“There’s a lot happening behind the scenes that I’ve chosen to keep private to protect my kids. I recognize that Kayla has shared our wedding vows on her page to highlight the authenticity of what we once had. While I respect that, I still stand by my belief that we didn’t fully know each other, and honestly, I didn’t know myself or who I was. I am very thankful for our three children and the love we shared at that time.”
Lochte — who co-parents son Caiden Zane, 8, and daughters Liv Rae, 7, and Georgia June, 2, with Reid — explained that he “wasn’t a good husband” to Reid, but he is trying to “separate myself from my past.”
“Therapy has been a transformative journey for me, helping me uncover insights about myself that I previously overlooked,” he continued. “I’m making a tremendous effort to separate myself from the past, as I’ve truly moved on.
“I deeply regret any disappointment I’ve caused to those in my life, including the mother of my children. I would be lying if I said I was a good husband. I wasn’t. I’m committed to working on myself every day.”
Lochte also explained why he’s selling his three of his six Olympic gold medals amid financial issues.
“I also would like to clarify the selling of my medals,” the 12 medal-winner wrote. “I never swam for the gold medals. My passion has always been about being one of the best swimmers in the world. Those medals? They were just the cherry on top of an incredible journey.
“With 90 international medals – including Olympics, world championships, Pan Pacs and Pan Am Games – I’ve been fortunate to achieve more than any swimmer out there. But what means the most to me is what I’ve done with them. I’ve given away medals to fans and young kids in the stands, because it’s never been just about me. It’s about inspiring the next generation and helping them chase their dreams. The memories, the hard work and the connection with all of you are what I treasure the most.”
Lochte’s girlfriend, Molly Gillihan praised him for his growth in the comments section.
“My darling 😢 you are everything and more to me and all six of the munchkins we share in this big crazy mess of a family,” Gillihan, a mother of three, wrote. “Who you are now is who anyone would be lucky to have and know. Watching you grow this year is the biggest blessing to all of us. I love you so much sweetheart.”
In his announcement for his memoir, Lochte painted a bleak picture of his relationship with Reid.
“After the Rio scandal, I found myself at my lowest point, with a son on the way with someone I barely knew, who constantly reminded me that he would be forever disappointed in the father I had become,” he wrote in the Dec. 9 post.
“Someone who told me I wasn’t strong enough, man enough… just not enough. I couldn’t believe what my life had become. I really couldn’t. I was depressed to my core, turning to alcohol, drugs, and sleep. Oh, the amount of sleep. Every day, I woke up to be belittled and reminded of my constant failures, day in and day out, until I was eventually kicked out of our family home.”
Reid, who is a podcast host and a realtor, shared the video of their wedding vows on Dec. 11.
“Just going to leave this here 🙂,” she captioned her post.
In June, Reid explained in a note on her Instagram Story that her seven-year marriage to Lochte was “irretrievably broken.”
During a July interview with the Daily Mail, Lochte explained that he and Gillihan fell for each other at their kids’ school in Gainesville, Fla.
Lochte previously claimed he and Reid hadn’t been together for almost two years when she revealed their divorce in June.
English (US)